2023 NHL Playoffs Around the League

[Osakahaus]

The first two periods I gave a slight edge in play to Florida; up until that point it was a great game. Had a bit of everything and a great pace. Vegas then started attacking Florida's major weakness, their D. Although they've been structured under Maurice, they got away from that in the 3rd. Very little gap control, Vegas meandered into their zone freely. They are going to have to clean that up.

I really felt that was always their weakness, especially with how blehhhhh guys like Forsling and Gudas are on defense.

 

[BelovedIsles]

I really felt that was always their weakness, especially with how blehhhhh guys like Forsling and Gudas are on defense.

Their personnel is in the bottom half of the league, but they have a group that has committed to a system.

 

[leeroggy]

I really felt that was always their weakness, especially with how blehhhhh guys like Forsling and Gudas are on defense.

Forsling this year: 13G/28A/+19/209 SOGs . . . if that is Bleh to you, I don't know what to say
And he's very sound defensively.

 

[saintunspecified]

Well, Game 1 went exactly according to VGK's plan, helped by a great save, and I thought VGK took a while to get to their game.

VGK always have excellent puck movers on their top 2 pairs, and competent ones on their bottom pairing. (Bottom pairing = Hague/Whitecloud). It's a recipe for frustrating FLA. If they can play their game, and keep their cool vs. all the **** stirrers on Florida, they should have the advantage.

You can't get a more experienced & still effective pairing than Martinez/Pietrangelo. Martinez is one of those players I would have loved NYI to acquire for years. I realize he's missed some time with injuries, but his mobility at 35 seems absolutely fine.

I think Florida will win 1 at home, but I think this one is going to be a relatively one-sided finals.

Speaking of box lacrosse, Aidan Hill looks like a box lacrosse goalie.

 

[Osakahaus]

Well, Game 1 went exactly according to VGK's plan, helped by a great save, and I thought VGK took a while to get to their game.

VGK always have excellent puck movers on their top 2 pairs, and competent ones on their bottom pairing. (Bottom pairing = Hague/Whitecloud). It's a recipe for frustrating FLA. If they can play their game, and keep their cool vs. all the **** stirrers on Florida, they should have the advantage.

You can't get a more experienced & still effective pairing than Martinez/Pietrangelo. Martinez is one of those players I would have loved NYI to acquire for years. I realize he's missed some time with injuries, but his mobility at 35 seems absolutely fine.

I think Florida will win 1 at home, but I think this one is going to be a relatively one-sided finals.

Speaking of box lacrosse, Aidan Hill looks like a box lacrosse goalie.

Martinez would've been perfect in 2021 if they didn't have little to trade

 

[Big L]

That layoff killed Bobrovs mojo

 

[SI90]

I’d trade every forward and defenseman on the isles for Tkachuk and name him captain.

 

[PK Cronin]

That layoff killed Bobrovs mojo

Yep, and Vegas is very deep defensively.

 

[Osakahaus]

Vegas is just abusing the Panthers, and making them their b*tch

 

[xECK29x]

That layoff killed Bobrovs mojo

But I was told if you reserved Bob that was good for the Panthers

 

[JBHockey]

The time off definitely affected the panthers they look completely out of sync, on the bright side at least I am not losing any sleep since these games have been over after the first.

 

[Big L]

And now we wait another week until game 3.

 

[PK Cronin]

@periferal Pretty sure both of us love Marchessault's game for Vegas dating back to their first year, do you think he gets the Conn Smythe at this point? 12 goals, 21 points (second on the team in points) in the playoffs so far. Eichel has one more point but 6 less goals. Not sure who the frontrunner is.

 

[Mr Misunderstood]

@periferal Pretty sure both of love Marchessault's game for Vegas dating back to their first year, do you think he gets the Conn Smythe at this point? 12 goals, 21 points (second on the team in points) in the playoffs so far. Eichel has one more point but 6 less goals. Not sure who the frontrunner is.

Adin Hill with his .937 SV% or has he not played enough?

 

[BMOK33]

Adin Hill with his .937 SV% or has he not played enough?

He has not really needed to be that good. It'll probably end up being Eichel or Stone. He's had some stupidly good saves but that is because he moves like Hextall and is just horrific when he is forced to go laterally so he sometimes gets lucky. Salo had some highlight reel saves as well because he was a poor mover. He will go down for sure as the most oddball goalie to win a cup. I doubt we see him in anything more than a backup role or starter on a bad team from next season on. GMs tend to be smart these days analytically with goalies and do not fall for guys who have hot runs. Nobody at all bit on Lehner or Talbot despite many thinking they could bring back value. Obviously Hill is an FA but he probably ends up signing with Detroit or something or the Caps. I'd really consider him as a Varly replacement because with the Isles style of D I think he can be effective as a backup.

 

[saintunspecified]

@periferal Pretty sure both of love Marchessault's game for Vegas dating back to their first year, do you think he gets the Conn Smythe at this point? 12 goals, 21 points (second on the team in points) in the playoffs so far. Eichel has one more point but 6 less goals. Not sure who the frontrunner is.

imo Marchessault is the best choice right now, partly because of the goal scoring, but mostly because he's been the emotional center of that line, which has been dominant at even strength throughout the playoffs. It's almost a shame to name one player, because I've been so impressed with how that whole Barbashev-Eichel-Marchessault line has played all over the ice. They've been better than the sum of their parts.

My god, Chandler Stephenson is an amazing skater.

 

[doublechili]

Random comment (or maybe not so random): Vegas has just 1 skater under 6 feet tall. Of course, it's Marchessault.

 

[Kevin27NYI]

Random comment (or maybe not so random): Vegas has just 1 skater under 6 feet tall. Of course, it's Marchessault.

Huge defensive corps as well, makes me want to keep Mayfield.

 

[Bones45]

Man Florida taking some dumb penalties

 

[Lek]

was really hoping for a better series.....Panthers PP makes ours look like.....ummm......well, guess it is nice we have company sucking bad on the PP.

 

[BMOK33]

Florida has not had a decent scoring chance since the first

 

[Lights911]

I just love when players who used to be in the Isles org score overtime goals in the SCF

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

It was justice that Florida won that game yesterday because my god again, that officiating was an embarrassment last night. I dont even know what sport this is anymore. 7 PPs for the same team twice in 3 games of the Stanley Cup final is just absurd. And a total of 12 altogether last night in the game. Let the damn players play the game. But specifically that call at the end of the third was a disgrace. The Vegas player tripped over his own feet and that call could have directly changed the result of the game, the series and the champion of the league. These players and teams put their bodies on the line all season for this moment and to have refs try to alter the outcome is just unacceptable. I honestly think something drastic needs to be done at this point. More and more in recent years, refs are inserting themselves into the game. They are not the attraction, but that is what they want to be.

This is what a refs job is in a Stanley Cup finals game: call a no-brainer 100% indisputable infraction that takes away a scoring chance, leads to a scoring chance or is an obvious intent to injure. That is it. Period. End of story. Other than that shut up and stay out of sight. You do not call anything thats iffy or borderline, let alone LOOKING to call something 12 times in a game.

 

[gordie43]

It was justice that Florida won that game yesterday because my god again, that officiating was an embarrassment last night. I dont even know what sport this is anymore. 7 PPs for the same team twice in 3 games of the Stanley Cup final is just absurd. And a total of 12 altogether last night in the game. Let the damn players play the game. But specifically that call at the end of the third was a disgrace. The Vegas player tripped over his own feet and that call could have directly changed the result of the game, the series and the champion of the league. These players and teams put their bodies on the line all season for this moment and to have refs try to alter the outcome is just unacceptable. I honestly think something drastic needs to be done at this point. More and more in recent years, refs are inserting themselves into the game. They are not the attraction, but that is what they want to be.

This is what a refs job is in a Stanley Cup finals game: call a no-brainer 100% indisputable infraction that takes away a scoring chance, leads to a scoring chance or is an obvious intent to injure. That is it. Period. End of story. Other than that shut up and stay out of sight. You do not call anything thats iffy or borderline, let alone LOOKING to call something 12 times in a game.

While I would like the refs to stay out of it, most of the penalties were pretty clear. Ekblad holding, duclair tripping, Lindell slash, and Barkov interference are four that were obvious and need to be called.

Outside of the Forsling trip (soft call) I thought that refs called what they had to. The panthers survived a sloppy game.

 

[The Real JT]

I just love when players who used to be in the Isles org score overtime goals in the SCF

You’re not allowed to say that here. Remember Toronto passed on him and TB let him go. So that justifies our misassessment?

At least we got Kristers Gudlevskis in return. It’s all good.